Consecutive numeral punching mechanism



June 2, 1953 A. G. DUFF I 2,640,538

CONSECUTIVE NUMERAL PUNCHING MECHANISM Filed May 24, 1950 2 SheetS-Sheet 1 INVENTOR; ALEXANDER G. DUFF ATTORNEY June 2, 1953 D 2,640,538

CONSECUTIVE NUMERAL PUNCHING MECHANISM Fil ed May 24, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGZ. 1

. 4 INVENTOR.

. ALEXANDER e. PUFF E v I ATTORNEY Patented June 2, 1953 CONSECUTIVE NUMERAL PUNCHING MECHANISM Alexander G. Duff, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as-

signor to Remington Rand Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 24, 1950, Serial No. 163,853

3 Claims.

This invention relates to card punching machines, and in particular to one in which cards may be successively punched to provide data designation perforations.

In cards used to control the operation of business machines the data is inthe nature of one or more holes arranged in code combination at various data designation positions in the columns of the card. In order to punch the holes in the proper locations the operation of code bars has been controlled by a tabulator from which total designations are transferred to a punching mechanism, as shown in the patents to W. Kuhlman et al., 1,998,281, granted April 16, 1935, and

to A, G. Rindfleisch, 2,354,549, granted July 25,-

1944. In these machines the punch setting mechanism has been a part of the machine from which the totals are to be transferred and the setting mechanism has been actuated solely by the machine of which it forms a part. printing of checks, for example, it may be desirable to punch in each card, code designations representing a serial number, and to punch in each succeeding card the next number of a series, so that when the checks are printed they will bear progressively arranged identifying numbers.

It is an object of the invention, therefore, to embody in a punch, a mechanism for automatically varying the operation of the punch controliing code bars, so that set up of the punch means will produce perforations in consecutively fed cards that will control the subsequent printing of progressive numbers.

A still further object of the invention is to pro- "vide a mechanism that is an integral part of the punch structure, that will operate on each successive cycle to bring about sequential punchings in one or more fields of a card and one which can be set to start a series of numbers in any ordinal group desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a manually settable punch controlling means which will serve as an indicator to show at what number in the series the punch is operating, the capacity of thecontrol means being only limited to the space on the card reserved for the punched identification data.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent in the course of the following description and claims which disclose, by way of example the principle of the invention, and a preferred means for carrying it out as further illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which l and 2 combined show the essential ele- In the.

ments of a punch, in side elevation, including the means for controlling the operation thereof in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of the carry mechanism with parts thereof being broken away to show the structure;

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of the setting mechanism showing the relative location of the selector disks and controls therefor; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary isometric view of the setting dials that indicate the consecutive punch ings of the cards.

The punch mechanisms disclosed in the Patents 1,998,281 and 2,354,549 above referred to, find counterparts of their structures in the present application which will be briefly reviewed herein, it being understood that complete disclosures of the machine operating parts are to be found in the patents referred to, and may be so employed in the present embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I00 indicates a card magazine mounted in a lower base or frame section H0 of the machine with its associated parts which include punches IOI, a card pocket I62, rows of set bars I03 which are depressed, in accordance with data to be punched and are so held by locking slides I04. The set bars Hi3 hold blocking pins I05 depressed so that when a card is raised, the punches IOI prevented from rising by certain pins I05, perforate the card.

Cards are fed singly from the magazine I00 by a picker knife I06 actuated by a cam I01 on drive shaft I08. The card is carried by feed rolls III to a punch chamber or basket IIII where it is held by a card stop IIZ until it is punched, after which it is ejected and carried by eject rolls II3 to said card pocket I02. The drive of the parts, including the shaft I08, is shown in the Patent 2,354,549, and during the period that the card is held by the stop N2 the basket II4is raised by the cam I69 and the card is punched in accordance with the settings of the bars I03 and pins I05. 7

The lower frame H0 that supports the punch mechanism is surmounted by an upper frame I I5 in which is journaled a cam shaft I It for actuating the set up mechanism and the numbering or selecting mechanism to be described. Shaft H8 is driven from the drive shaft I08 by any suitable means such as a chain (1620f Fig. 1 in Patent 2,354,549). I'he selecting mechanism includes sensing slide bars II8 extending through the frame and guided between rollers II'I'at one it is obvious that many changes in form could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I, therefore, do not limit myself to the exact form herein shown and described, nor to anything less than the whole of my invention as hereinbefore set forth, and as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a punched card numbering machine, a punch mechanism, means for controlling said punch mechanism to perforate cards seriatim in a code representative of consecutive numbers, comprising a plurality of spiral sectors, a spur gear attached to each spiral sector, an idler gear for each of said sector gears, a driving gear for each of said idler gears, differential means for actuating said driving gears, means actuable by said punch mechanism for actuating said differential means, and manually operable means for selectively pre-positioning said spiral sectors.

2, In a punched card numbering machine, a punch mechanism, means for controlling said punch mechanism to perforate cards seriatim in a code representative of consecutive numbers, comprising a plurality of spiral sectors, a spur gear attached to each spiral sector, an idler gear for each of said spur gears engaging the associated spur gear, a driving gear for each of said idler gears engaging the associated idler gear, pawl and ratchet means for rotating said driving gears, means for actuating said pawl and ratchet means once during each cycle of operation of said punch mechanism, and means for disabling said pawl and ratchet actuating means.

3. A machine for punching cards with holes representative of consecutive numbers including punches, set bars overlying said punches, code plates, means for moving said code plates to actuate said set bars, slide bars, spiral sectors with which said slide bars coact todifierentially set the code plates relatively to the set bars, drive means including a carry mechanism and gear means for actuating said sectors, 2. connection from said drive means to said code plate moving means, means operated by said gear means for indicating the number of cards punched, and said indicating means being manually operable to con trol the setting of said sectors through said gear means.

ALEXANDER G. DUFF.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,424,856 Spicer Aug. 8, 1922 2,206,116 Ohmer July 2, 1940 

